Self-reported prescription pain pill, sedative, or tranquilizer use among females in 11 provincial capitals in Afghanistan—findings from the Afghanistan national urban drug use study (ANUDUS)

The Afghanistan National Urban Drug Use Study (ANUDUS) is an epidemiological study conducted from July 2010-April 2012 assessing substance use within the country. Female Heads of Household (HoH) were approached throughout 11 Provinces in Afghanistan and asked to report substance use and risk factors within the household. This analysis presents self-reported patterns of lifetime and past 30 day use of pain pills, sedatives, or tranquilizers among females within the household, and presents information on correlative risk factors associated with recent use. Overall, 2,187 households were surveyed, representing 9,453 females and 9,578 males. Among these households, 14.5% reported females and 5.3% reported males who had ever used these substances. 5.5% of households reported a female and only 2.5% reported a male within the household who had used these substances within the past 30 days. The most frequent means for obtaining these substances was via a doctor or nurse (94.2%), most commonly in order to sleep (11.4%) or treat an illness (4.8%). After controlling for other factors, higher income households, a female in the household who recently used opium, and households where women had been beaten had significantly higher odds of reporting use of these substances than others. These findings suggest women in Afghanistan are obtaining these substances from health professionals, primarily in order to sleep or treat illnesses. However, because violence in the home against women presents significantly higher odds of reporting recent use of these substances, women may be using substances as a coping mechanism, suggesting need for further study.